discourse.
This essay will explore the meaning of abstract and technical.
language, discuss the importance for students to be able to express.
meanings in abstract and technical ways and propose approaches to increase.
teachers' effectiveness in helping students use abstract language in their.
academic writing.
The Meaning of Abstract and Technical Language.
According to a definition from the City University of New York,.
"abstract language refers to things that are intangible, that is, which are.
perceived not through the senses but by the mind, such as truth, God,.
education, vice, transportation, poetry, war, love". In contrast, concrete.
language "identifies things perceived through the senses (touch, smell,.
sight, hearing, and taste), such as soft, stench, red, loud, or bitter".
("Literary Terms", n.d.). By definition, the things that are being referred.
to using abstract language would not have a substitute in the concrete.
language. For example, "education" is an abstract concept - there are no.
words in the concrete language that can substitute the word "education".
Therefore, in order to convey the exact meaning and the sophistication and.
abstraction of the subjects that students are dealing with, the use of.
abstract language is inevitable.
Technical words are specialized words of a subject. These words may.
have the same meaning across different subjects or may have different.
meaning across different subjects and from everyday language. In contrast.
to abstract language, technical language may have its non-technical.
counterpart, albeit a loosely similar one. However, to express the exact.
meaning of something, sometimes only a technical word can be used. Although.
it may seem as if technical language has only started being used after the.
modern era, technical language is not an invention in response to the.
advances in science and technology or increased study and exploration of.
the other academic areas. Technical language is just specialized language.
